03/04/2019 - Packing day! England

Packing day and leaving for the airport hotel

Dad and I left for the airport hotel slightly later than planned (standard!). After a couple of quick dashes back home (forgot the luggage scales, or newton meter as Josh calls them) we were on our way, with a boot full of maybe piles still left to pack (who knew packing for a whole year away would be so challenging!) and an empty rucksack. A few dad jokes in (repeated numerous times) – ‘packing light then?!’ and ‘anyone would think you’re off for a year!’ and we were rolling, with a desert island disc podcast playing in the background. As we neared the hotel I received a phone call from Mr-Josh-in-a-flap – the laptop charger had stopped working! Bear in mind Josh had just spent 3 days setting up the laptop in order to edit his photos whilst we were away, and had bought a whole new rucksack in order to carry all the gear safely. Dad to the rescue!! A little detour to Westfield and a new charger down and we were back on route. We met Josh, Trudie and Pete and went upstairs to the rooms to test the charger – thankfully the laptop was back up and running and Josh could breathe again! We went down to the pool – somehow Josh had blagged Pete into going swimming for the first time in about 25 years and Trudie had had a spray tan for the occasion. We made use of the Jacuzzi, steam room and sauna, and Trudie and Josh braved the plunge pool. It was most likely the cleanest Josh and I would be for a while! Mum arrived after babysitting Finn for the day and we regrouped, and went down for the last supper. All 6 of us had the same dinner (cheeseburger and chips FYI) much to the waiters’ amusement. Next was packing time! I scurried mum off into my room for 20 minutes (closer to an hour) to help me decide what to pack. Packing for a year and for varying climates is much more difficult than I anticipated. I find it difficult to plan what to wear the next day let alone the next month! Soon dad, Josh, Pete and Trudie had joined us in the room (after a few bevvies) and there were a few giggles as I tried to walk around with a rucksack as big as me on my back, Pete said I looked like a potato with arms and legs sticking out! Before we knew it it was 01:30 and the parents went to bed, I was hyper as anything, which obviously made Josh prang that he wouldn’t be allowed to get any sleep! I think we managed to crash out by around 02:30…